Alex's swim journal

LCM State meet...

I'll have to write a more complete account tomorrow; right now I'm pretty tired and just want to go to bed. Also I want to take a look at my splits, which I haven't had a chance to do yet, to comment in more detail.

400 IM = 8:10, my seed time was 7:45, but I wasn't last! I had no idea what to expect or what the long course would feel like... I felt pretty smooth on everything, just slow. Siren song? What I was hearing was more like a banshee wail.

200 Back = 3:47; only about 5 minutes after my 400 IM... beat my seed time and came in a close second in the heat (was 4IM just a warm-up for the 200 back?).

50 Back = :46 (seed time was :48).

100 Back = 1:41 (seedtime 1:40).

1500 Free = 26:43; just trying to stay smooth... nowhere near my 1650 time, but about :10 faster than my 1500 SCM; being that it's long course, I feel like that's a sign I haven't lost too much fitness since short course season.

We had a good time... I swept the back stroke events in my age group! 4IM was fun with two of my Kenosha swim buds doing it with me, Carl and Scotty; there were only two other 4IMers at this meet apart from the Kenosha contingent, everyone else scratched... which means I got a top 5 spot (4th actually) overall in that gnarly event.

Comments

Nice job Alex. The 1650scy and 1500scm from my experience are similar races however the 1500lcm is definately a different animal. The difference in turns is incredible and to think you went quicker Lcm vs scm is terrific and a definite sign of improvement.

Thanks; I think the LCM really affected my fly more than anything else... my first 30 meters was brilliant, then there was no wall... at 40, still no wall, at 50 yards, still no wall... at 50 meters my turn was slow and my focus became finishing the next 50 meters legally. I felt pretty good about my back events, though I know I have some things to work on there too.

Thanks; I think the LCM really affected my fly more than anything else... my first 30 meters was brilliant, then there was no wall... at 40, still no wall, at 50 yards, still no wall... at 50 meters my turn was slow and my focus became finishing the next 50 meters legally. I felt pretty good about my back events, though I know I have some things to work on there too.

I must be opposite of most "normal" folks I guess. My fly really seems to be the only thing I ever feel powerful with in LCM.
My other strokes use the walls of SCY to my advantage, freestyle included. I have powerful wall pushoffs, even though I may not SDK much, but I can "ride the glide" very well.
My preferences of different courses:
SCY > SCM > a Motel 6 pool > LCM > Open Water of less than 2 Miles > Open Water of greater than 2 miles...better get me on a boat.

I really do like LCM for freestyle and back--can really get a rhythm going--but for fly and breast it's still really rough, feels like I'm swimming in place after about 25-30 yards and could use that extra push. Guess I need to learn how to ride the glide a little better; well, maybe a LOT better.